Climate Impacts Scientist, Year 2

This grant provides a second year of funding for Amy Luers's position as Climate Impacts Scientist in UCS’s California office after a very successful first year in the position. This new position, under their "Global Program", has allowed UCS to have on-the-ground scientific capacity to respond to many climate change initiatives and policies that are based in California and to further develop case studies that illustrate the costs of inaction on climate change. California is still a good laboratory for progressive policy initiatives on climate change and GHG reduction. The focus of the California Climate Campaign is on defense of the Pavley legislation (reduction of GHG emissions from motor vehicles), implementation of renewable energy standards, promotion of cap-and-trade policy for GHG reduction at power plants, and preparation to counter congressional opposition to California climate change policies. A key part of Amy's work over the next year will be to expand her working relationships with scientists through the UCS Sound Science Initiative, and to provide support to pending policy and research efforts.